Rookie scores twice as Capitals win overtime thriller
A 20-year-old forward playing in just his ninth NHL game delivered the winner 2:14 into the extra period.
The puck sat loose in the crease for what felt like a full second, and the rookie was the only player who seemed to see it.
Andrei Volkov, 20, playing in just his ninth NHL game, swept it across the goal line 2:14 into overtime on Friday night, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win in a game they trailed by two goals entering the third period.
It was Volkov’s second goal of the night and the first multi-goal game of his young career. As teammates mobbed him along the boards, the crowd at Capital One Arena rose with a roar that lasted well after the horn.
“I just tried to go to the net,” Volkov said afterward, a grin breaking through his attempt at modesty. “The guys did all the work. I was in the right place.”
A third-period surge
For two periods, the Capitals looked flat. They managed only 14 shots and fell behind 3-1 after a pair of power-play goals by the visitors, who had won four straight entering the night.
Coach Elena Markova said she kept her message simple during the second intermission. “Shoot more. Skate more. Stop waiting for something to happen,” she said.
Washington outshot its opponent 15-4 in the third. Veteran defenseman Luka Petrović cut the deficit with a slap shot from the point at 6:41. Volkov tied it with 4:58 remaining, redirecting a centering pass past the goaltender’s blocker.
In overtime, the Capitals controlled the puck for most of the period. After a scramble in front of the net, Volkov found the rebound and the winner.
A rookie to watch
Volkov was a second-round pick and was not expected to make the opening-night roster. An injury to a veteran forward gave him an opportunity in training camp, and he has not looked back, recording five points in his first nine games.
“He’s fearless,” Petrović said. “He goes to the hard areas. You can’t teach that.”
Goaltender Sam Whitaker stopped 23 of 26 shots, including a point-blank save in the final minute of regulation that kept the game tied.
Up next
The Capitals, now 8-4-2, begin a three-game road trip on Sunday. Markova said she would keep Volkov on the second line.
“He earned it,” she said. “Now he has to keep earning it. That’s the league.”
